Stand
by Twifan
Summary: Edward is a wounded soldier who just lost his brother. He moves back to his hometown. While there, he comes to face his destiny, learns about love, and most importantly, learns about life. ExB AU AH - Discontinued
1. Stand

**So I made a new story. Yes. Why? Well, to start off with, I really need a break. I've been dealing with some tough things for school and just life in general, I'll go back to writing my other stories sometime later.**

**I just thought it would be nice to move away from all clichés for a while. This is a story about Edward and Bella, of course. I think it's original, but I haven't read every single fanfic story. I didn't steal it, so maybe not.**

**This story will be slightly different than my others. For one, I'm going to try to make longer chapters, and more often. This story will also be considerably long, and Bella and Edward won't fall in love immediately. This story will include new characters, but no, it's not going to be all these new vampires with ridiculous talents and stupid personalities. As far as I've planned, there will only be two new characters. **

**They are:**

**Mrs. Caldwell – You'll learn more about her in the next chapter**

**Edward's Brother – You'll learn more about him in a few chapters, including his name**

**That can change, but either way, I don't plan on adding anyone else. Both play important parts in the story, so I'm going against my rule of no new characters. They both will be developed.**

**All the Cullens will make an appearance. The Swans will too.**

**So that's it (:**

**I don't own Twilight, or it's characters.**

**I don't mean to offend anyone in this story.**

**Each chapter will be named after a song.**

**This is the prologue, the rest of the story will not go like this, in past tense. This chapter is bad, but it's to give background information.**

**This chapter, like the story, is called Stand by Rascal Flatts.**

**EPOV**

All I remember from that day was firing noises, the smell of smoke, my unit panicking, and pain. A lot of pain. Then it was dark, and I was numb. I woke up in a C-7, surrounded by wounded soldiers. I had realized what was happening a split second before I went under again.

I was wounded myself. I found out later in the hospital that I had been shot three times. Twice in my leg, and once in my shoulder. Unfortunately for me, one shot ricocheted, hitting my spine once. Paralyzed. That's what they told me. It was just one leg, oddly enough. I didn't care though. I cared more about who was lost, not what.

My brother. He died in the shooting. I sat there in my wheelchair during his funeral. My mother couldn't take it anymore. My mother and father didn't say anything. I think they were disappointed. That I survived, I mean. My brother had been so much more than me.

I wish it had been me. I would give my life for his in the blink of an eye. But it wasn't for me to decide. God took him, and left me.

I was retired from the military, they didn't think I would regain use of my leg. I didn't think so either. The rest of my unit didn't get hurt. Only the Masen brothers. They all sent letters, but I couldn't bring myself to read them. I couldn't take my parent's looks of pity, or sorrow. I couldn't stand all the "I'm so sorry about your loss" comments. I knew so many people were truly sincere, but I couldn't take it.

There was no way to describe the agony, the anguish. No one else would understand. Not even my parents. They lost a son, but I had lost not only my brother, but my best friend. He had been there for me my entire life. My big brother, always there to protect me. I had idolized him my entire life. And now he was gone.

I packed my purple heart and the letters into a box, and packed the rest of my belongings in a bag. I was going back home for a while, to sort things out. My parents stayed at their house in new York, but I traveled west to Washington.

I saw the old house, and that only made things worse. I remembered my brother and I, chasing each other across the lawn, playing in the broom cupboard, sliding down the banister.

I was in a trance for days. My parents had ordered food to be delivered to the house, and I slept in the downstairs bedroom, unable to go up the stairs even if I could take the memories. I couldn't get used to my wheelchair. I ran into things constantly, and had trouble steering it. I started to become lazy and bitter, living all alone.

That's when Alice and Jasper came. Jasper had been one of my best friends in high school, and Alice was his high school sweetheart turned wife. We knew each other well. They had heard about the accident, and they came to help. They didn't expect to see me in the state I was. Frustrated and annoyed.

"Edward," Jasper had said. Sternly, I might add. "You will not spend the rest of your life rotting away like this. Tomorrow, you're going to the physical therapist. No buts about it."

And they left. I grumbled more, feeling more like a grumpy old man than I ever had this entire time.

I wanted to shout to the heavens. Why had this happened to me? I was 24 years old, in the prime of my life. I was about to go to college, I was about to start a life, right after I was sent home.

But then I lose my legs, and then my brother. My opinion had warped since my days in the hospital. I cared what had happened to me. It didn't seem fair.

So the next day, I sat in my chair, zoning out while the instructor talked about the equipment. There were a few people here and there, but they were all so old, and none of them were in wheelchairs. Most had a walker, or they had something wrong with their arms. I felt like a sore thumb, and even more agitated than usual.

Then he left me at a weight machine to try to lift my leg. I tried a few times, actually, I tried all day. Jasper and Alice had left, so had everyone in the gym. The instructor was in his office. For the hundredth time, I tried lifting it, but nothing. I screamed in frustration, feeling as if I was about to boil over. It wasn't fair, it wasn't.

And then I felt a cool hand on my tense shoulders. Something about the touch, it made me relax considerably.

"Are you alright?" A smooth and calm voice asked. I didn't turn around.

"What do you think?" I spat. I immediately felt ashamed, as I always did. I knew I was a different person than before.

"Do you want to talk?" the voice asked. I shut my eyes tight, refusing to let tears escape.

"Just leave me alone." And they did. I turned and saw no one, not a soul.

**So what do you think? Next chapter will come out either later tonight or tomorrow (:**

**Review please, I want some feedback, to know if anyone likes the story.**

**Edward is going through a tough time, and someone coughcough will help him. He's not really that angry. He's just upset over losing his brother, not his leg.**

**Who do you think the "someone" is? Who do you think is the one who spoke in the last part?**

**Review!**


	2. Comfortable

**It's not the longest chapter in history, but it's over a thousand words (:**

**Thank you to my first reviewers!**

**This chapter is more calm and slow paced.**

**It's called Comfortable by John Mayer.**

For the first time in a long while, I woke with perfect clarity. For once, I wasn't so angry, and I knew what I had to do.

Mrs. Caldwell was an old lady, probably nearing her eighties now. She was as much of a part of Forks as the rain was. She was here for longer than anyone else could remember. She always wore her navy blue cardigan, and she always wore a smile.

She was a grandmother to the town, and a grandmother to me. My brother and I had always gone to her as young kids for cookies and lemonade. She always told some story of her life, or some story she heard. Sometimes it was a fairytale, sometimes it was a ghost story. But she was always there, waiting.

She gave every kid advice whenever we were upset. If a girl had just lost her dog, Mrs. Caldwell was there. If a boy had scraped his knee, she was there.

And when they diagnosed her with cancer all those years ago, everyone fled like the black plague. We were afraid of the woman, because we didn't like the atmosphere. Mrs. Caldwell hadn't changed, but everyone had changed toward her.

So as I rolled my wheelchair down the sidewalk and up the slight hill to her house, I wondered if she was still alive. It had been about ten years since I last saw her. I didn't think I could take another loss.

I nearly turned around then, too afraid, but I needed to see her, for some reason.

I wheeled up the smooth cobblestone path that was chilled by the brisk winter air, and to the front door of the familiar house. There was a ramp built in to the porch, since old Mrs. Caldwell herself was in a wheelchair. I couldn't manage to ring the doorbell, however.

I felt a familiar burst of anger, but I tried my best to push it aside. Now wasn't the time. And I was sick of being angry.

I settled for knocking, hoping that her old ears could hear. In a few moments, I heard a lock click and the door ease open.

There stood a girl on crutches. She looked like she was roughly twenty years old, and had a kind face. She was paler than anybody I'd ever seen, but she was pretty. Nice brown eyes, and long brown hair. I noticed she had a long, thin white line tracing the side of her forehead. It was a scar.

"Hello, I'm Edward Masen. I'm looking for Mrs. Caldwell?" My voice was a bit rough from misuse in my lonely home. I cleared it roughly. What if Mrs. Caldwell was dead? What if a new family lived here? I felt a familiar prickle in my eyes and nose.

"You want to see my Grandma? Come on in." She hobbled to the side, and opened the door wider.

I sat there for a moment, in shock. That voice I heard it before. A week ago, back in the gym. She was the one who had spoken to me.

And then it struck me. Grandma? Mrs. Caldwell never mentioned she had children, much less grandchildren.

The girl looked at me for a moment, like I was mentally unstable. "Are you okay?" Her nose wrinkled a bit, and her eyebrows knitted together.

I shook my head slightly to clear it. "Yeah, yeah." I said blearily. "Thanks." I tried to add in a wry smile, but I was too shocked.

I wheeled myself and became face to face with memories. Everything from the creaky old stairs and the faded wooden floors was the same. Even the couches. It was like nothing had changed. But everything had. I needed my grandma for advice.

The girl led me to the back porch. Mrs. Caldwell, wrinkles in all, sat on the swinging bench, her feet barely brushing the ground, causing her to sweep back and forth with a slight moan of protest from the wood.

When she saw me, her face lit up. She didn't care that I was in a wheelchair, or she didn't notice. She only saw me, like the kid I once was.

"Edward Masen, well I'll be! I haven't seen you since you were just fourteen years old! You've grown into a very handsome young man." Her eyes were watery, but she was smiling her same old smile. "Tell me about you."

And I did. Just like a small child, I confessed everything, well almost everything. The girl sat down on a wicker chair off to the side, listening in. I told Mrs. Caldwell about finishing high school, and starting college. I told her how I only managed five years before they took me for the army.

I only carried it so far to saying goodbye to my family before I stopped. I couldn't say it out loud, not what happened over there. I think she knew that was why I was like this, but she didn't say anything about it.

"Edward, my boy, I couldn't be prouder than you. It takes a real kind of bravery to do that. To fight for their country." She placed a withered old hand on mine, and her warm smile brought tears to my eyes. Someone was proud of me. I hadn't felt that since my brother was still with me. I smiled back through my silent tears.

"Come on, Edward, have some cookies that Isabella made, they're in the kitchen, she'll show you in." I nodded and wiped my eyes, remembering the young girl sitting off to the side.

She slid up onto her crutches and walked toward the kitchen in silence. When we got there, she pulled out a plastic container of cookies, and grabbed a pitcher of lemonade. It was like I was a boy again, eating cookies and drinking lemonade, except this time I told the story.

The girl, Isabella I think, spoke again. "She's happy to see you. I haven't seen her smile that much in a long time." Her grin was small, but it lit up her entire face, and was a replica of Mrs. Caldwell's.

"She hasn't been the same since her cancer came back last fall. Doesn't talk much anymore. Thank you for visiting her." Her voice was quiet.

"It's fine. I think I'm the one who should be thanking you. I was so worried she would be gone when I arrived." I couldn't imagine how horrible it would be.

"Not yet," Isabella said. I nodded in silence, and we both took a sip of lemonade.

"I didn't know that she had a granddaughter."

"Yeah, many people didn't. She didn't know about me herself until a few years ago. My mother moved away with my father before I was born. I came back when I learned about her. I come here every day to visit her and make sure she is okay. She's fragile in her old days." Isabella put the cookies gently away and set the lemonade into the tiny refrigerator.

"Is there anything I could do to help?" Isabella started toward the porch again, and I followed. Mrs. Caldwell was dozing slightly, looking peaceful.

"Maybe," Isabella whispered. "I like to take her to church every Sunday, you could tag along, I'm sure she'd love that."

I nodded ,"I'd like that too."

A moment passed in silence, only the faint sounds of birds could be heard. Isabella shifted the blankets behind her grandmother and draped a blanket across her small form.

"I suppose I should go now," I said quietly. Isabella hobbled to the front door with me.

Just as I turned to leave, Isabella called out.

"Edward, we also go to the park every Thursday night, so come by tomorrow around five." She smiled, warm and comforting. I smiled in response.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Tears fell down my cheeks as I rolled home. I hadn't felt so well in so long. I'd have to come back as often as I could. I knew I still felt angry and sad, but deep down, I think I had the slightest trace of the impossible.

Hope.

**Thank you for reading : **

**What will happen at the park?**

**And what's up with Isabella?**

**Please review! This is a different type of story than my normal ones, and I want to know what you think :D**


	3. Watch the Wind Blow By

**I'd like to address the whole cripple thing. Edward, is of course, paralyzed in one leg. Mrs. Caldwell is simply an old woman who is weak. She has no medical condition, per say, but she's just not very strong.**

**Lastly, Bella's condition is significant to the story, and you'll find out in a few chapters, same with info about Edward's Brother.**

**Just a side note: Bella is 23, Edward is 24. Mrs. Caldwell is 81.**

**I'm glad that people like this story (:**

**This chapter is called Watch the Wind Blow By (by Tim McGraw)**

_**Previously . . .**_

_I knew I still felt angry and sad, but deep down, I think I had the slightest trace of the impossible._

_Hope._

**EPOV**

I knocked on the door the next day at five o'clock sharp. I was feeling a bit down again, but as soon as I saw Isabella and Mrs. Caldwell, I immediately brightened. We walked to the local park together. Well, more like hobbled, walked, and wheeled. Apparently Mrs. Caldwell was getting better at walking, so she could use a walker.

I nearly laughed at the thought of three crippled people walking down the sidewalk together. I thought we might look a bit ridiculous.

I told Isabella that.

"I never thought of it, but you're right. We must look quite the spectacle." She grinned, and I found myself smiling back.

The park was beautiful. It was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits.

Small children ran around the playground, and mothers talked on the benches nearby. Families were packing their dinners and blankets up, preparing to leave. A few teenagers were sitting on their own quilt, just talking.

The trees melted into a full forest, and I found myself noticing how much I had missed the green. Out there, I only saw sand and bushes. Not anymore.

"Come, Edward, I want to show you a spot that Grandma and I found a year ago." I nodded vigorously.

"You kids go on," Mrs. Caldwell said, "I wish to visit someplace of my own." We paused. I frowned.

"Will you be okay on your own, Mrs. Caldwell?" I was worried for her. She could hurt herself if she wasn't careful.

"Don't worry, Edward, I've been to the spot many times before." She smiled and walked off, leaving me with Isabella.

We continued toward the forest.

"She does that sometimes, you know."

"What?" I had forgotten what we were talking about, too absorbed by the feeling of the park.

"Go off to wherever. Once in a while when we go to the park she'll find some excuse to leave. I normally just go over here."

"Where is here, exactly?" I wondered how I was going to actually get there.

"Don't worry. You think I could get there if you couldn't?" She teased. "It's about ten feet into the forest, but it's on a hidden path. Smooth, but nobody knows about it. It's my own place to reflect, so to speak." I nodded, still unsure of what she meant.

But I could use some time to reflect. I still felt like I might burst of frustration or anger or sadness, even though Isabella and Mrs. Caldwell were helping.

She led me down a smooth dirt walkway, half hidden by a tree. It was wide enough for me, and it lead to a beautiful clearing.

Perfectly round, and perfectly perfect. I saw what she meant. It made me feel peaceful for a moment. Even if just a moment.

She dropped her crutches and sat down, so I took her lead. I managed to lift myself out with my good leg, and plopped on the grass. It felt wonderful to be free of my chair.

I could feel the grass on one leg, and it seemed like part of the other, but maybe I was imagining things. I laid down and stared at the light blue sky, immersed in my own thoughts.

I thought of my brother. Who he was, what he did. He always did the best thing he could. He always tried to make things right. I didn't.

These past few months I had been anything but that. I had made things worse for not only myself, but everyone else. I wondered if he was here, watching over me right now. I smiled up to him, just in case he was.

"You're smiling bigger than you've ever smiled, what are you thinking?" Isabella looked down at me. She had remained sitting up, but was also staring at the sky.

"Nothing," I replied, "Just about things."

She snorted, "Oh, very descriptive. Have you ever considered journalism as a career?" I laughed along.

"Oddly enough, I never really considered a career. I was just naïve and stupid, I didn't think anything through." I sighed.

"Well, if you're stupid, then we all are." Her eyes were burning, "It's okay to make mistakes, or to fall off track sometimes, as long as you get right back on board."

I thought about that for a moment. It was fine for her, she wasn't stuck in a wheelchair, unable to move. She had probably just sprained her ankle or something.

I had to suppress the sorrow and the regret. I shouldn't feel jealous towards her. I was dealt my hand, and she was dealt hers.

"How did you end up in those, by the way." I inclined my head towards her crutches.

She paused for a moment, considering something. She seemed to make a decision when she gave a slight nod. I couldn't help but smile at her facial expressions.

"It's not important. And it's another story for another day. We need to be getting back to Grandma so we can head home." She stood up funnily, but I guess it was hard with a broken ankle.

I managed to lift myself into my chair and followed Isabella. We didn't speak as we approached the area we had last seen Mrs. Caldwell. We saw her shifting toward us. She seemed to be coming from the far side of the park, which was odd.

We were quiet on the way back to the house. I helped Isabella grab cookies and lemonade to bring onto the porch, but Mrs. Caldwell was asleep once again when we arrived. Isabella tucked her in for the second time, and she sat down across from her grandma.

"She always seems so tired," she whispered, not taking her eyes off the old woman.

"I'm afraid," her voice seemed to be a bit strangled, "that her cancer is worse than she says. She won't tell me what is going on, you know. I have no more of an idea than you do."

I looked at the frail figure, and wondered myself.

"I guess we better go before we wake her." She stood up, and followed me out the door.

"Now, don't forget Edward, we have Church on Sunday. She'll be heartbroken if you don't show." She smiled easily. So much like Mrs. Caldwell, even her brown eyes were the same. I wondered if I was staring at a younger version of her.

Before we parted ways, I turned back to speak.

"Thank you, Isabella. You and your grandma, are helping me… c-cope." I mumbled out the last word shakily, and looked down at the grass growing between the cracks in the sidewalk.

"I'm glad." And with one last smile, she left.

No questions. I was pleased that I didn't have to face that obstacle just yet… not yet, but soon.

**So, what do you think is Isabella's story?**

**Yes, she will eventually be called Bella. Isabella irks me a bit sometimes.**

**Yes, I relocated the meadow to a more easily accesible location ;)**

**Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming:D**


	4. Waiting on the Sun

**Tiny chapter, sorry!**

**More action is coming up in the next few chapters, and you'll learn about Bella and Edward's brother.**

**Thank you to all my reviewers!**

**This chapter is called Waiting on the Sunshine (by Sixpence None the Richer)**

_**Previously. . .**_

_No questions. I was pleased that I didn't have to face that obstacle just yet… not yet, but soon._

**EPOV**

I was sitting just in front of my staircase at home, thinking.

I thought of what my brother would do, were he here. He was always right. Always. What would he do if he was in the situation?

I smiled as I thought. He'd make it funny, but he wouldn't let it bother him. He'd also try to get back onto his feet.

I immediately picked up the phone.

"Jasper? Could you come by the house?"

He was there in minutes, probably waiting for some sort of emergency. When he saw I was alright, he relaxed.

"So, Edward, what do I owe this pleasure to?" He was smiling at my expression, which must have lightened a bit.

"I'd… I'd like to go back to the gym today," I admitted, shamefaced.

Jasper didn't rub it in or say he told me so, he just grabbed the back of my chair and wheeled me to his car.

After he helped me out of his car, he spoke. "Let me know who she is when I pick you up. Four okay?" He winked.

I laughed. He thought I had met a girl, and that's why I was so… different. If only he knew that girl was eighty years plus.

"Yeah, four is fine." With grins on our faces, we parted. I was nervous going into the gym. I didn't think I'd make progress, and I'd probably get frustrated, but it was something I had to do.

I tried for three hours, my anger boiling upwards, much to my dismay. I felt another swell of anguish. Would I ever walk again?

I wondered what I looked like toward everyone else. Some young kid strapped into a wheelchair, looking mad as hell. I didn't feel like that. I felt like a kid lost in the park, and he can't find his mother. Or his brother.

I buried my face into my hands, determined not to make a fool of myself in here. I took a few shaky breaths and blinked away the moisture in my eyes.

When I looked up, I saw someone I never expected to see.

"Isabella?" I blinked this time in shock.

"Yeah, Jasper and Alice called me, said they couldn't make it. He wanted me to get you home." She smiled and set a hand on my shoulder.

I grinned back. "And how do you plan to do that, when you can't exactly drive yourself." She laughed.

"Public transportation is a wonderful invention, Mr. Masen, you should learn about it." My lips twitched upwards. "C'mon, slowpoke, the bus arrives in about two minutes."

I nodded and followed. She led me out to the sidewalk, next to an iron post streetlight, like the ones from the old movies.

The bus pulled up just in time. I was suddenly afraid. I had to use the ramp?

My cheeks were burning while the driver lowered it. I thought I might die of embarrassment.

Everyone looked curiously as Isabella went up the ramp herself, and I followed. I kept my head down, determined not to look at their faces.

We stopped at the wheelchair spot, and Isabella sat down on the seat next to it while I strapped myself in. I still had my eyes trained on the floor. She noticed.

"Don't be embarrassed. It will get better, trust me." I looked up at her, and didn't see pity in her eyes, but concern. As if I was a little boy who was crying his eyes out. I sighed and mumbled, sitting up straighter.

Some middle aged women began to throw glances my way, and whisper beneath their hands to each other. I rolled my eyes and tried to look out the window to the bleak landscape.

I clenched my hands on the armrests of my chair. I couldn't get angry. It wasn't their fault that I was feeling this way.

I felt a small hand on mine, and immediately it collapsed, relaxing as if in defeat. The thin fingers tightened angrily and I saw that their owner was glaring daggers at the group of middle aged women. I think it was the first time I had seen Isabella angry.

"Sorry", she whispered, "but I didn't know if you heard. They were saying less than kind things about you." She was still mad, her eyes narrowed a bit.

"It's fine. If I don't hear, it can't effect me." I shrugged lightly. Her head tilted for a moment, considering.

And her little hand left my large one. She wrinkled her nose a bit. "I guess you're right…" She trailed off, thinking again.

By then we had arrived at the stop near our houses. We both exited on the ramp, but this time it didn't feel as mortifying. It helped to have someone else going with you. We stopped in front of my house.

"Edward," she asked, "Would you care to join Grandma and I tomorrow? We're going to play bingo around noon." She smiled.

I thought ahead. I wanted to, but I had my doctors appointment tomorrow at eleven.

"I can't. They need to check up on me tomorrow." I was ashamed, for some reason. If I was normal, I could go.

"Okay then, we'll see you on Sunday." She started her way home, and I stared after her.

I closed the door to my house and stood still for a moment. It seemed I had made a new friend.

And it was nice to have someone there for me. Jasper was too busy with Alice, and my brother was no longer here. But she was. Maybe she could be my best friend. Not a replacement for my brother, but another one.

Just maybe.

**I have a preview for you guys!  
**

"What is going to happen?" I asked, worried.

She turned to face me, tears in her eyes. "I don't know, Edward, I just don't know. For once I don't."

I held her hand and pulled her closer to me. She buried her head in my neck and cried. I wrapped my arms around her.

"It'll all end up alright." I tried to comfort her, but I felt as lost as she was.

"But what if it isn't, Edward, what if it isn't?" Her voice was muffled, but I could hear the fear in her voice.

I thought long about my response.

"Then we pick up the pieces and we make it alright. I'll always be here for you, so you won't have to go at it alone."

**Review?**

**I assume you already know the doctor, but what do you think the verdict will be?**


	5. Savin' Me

**Hello! Back again. **

**This chapter is short again, sorry.**

**Here are some answers to reviews:**

**The war is the current war that America is fighting. The war on terrorism, as it's often called.**

**Edward won't start having "feelings" for Bella for a while. This is a slow paced story. I'm thinking if I release at least one chapter a night, he should start liking her that way in about five or four more days?**

**Any more questions, feel free to ask.**

**This Chapter is called Savin' Me (by Nickelback)**

_**Previously . . .**_

_Not a replacement for my brother, but another one._

_Just maybe._

**EPOV**

The pungent scent of the hospital was enough to get my nerves all pent up. It made my nose twitch, but it also made my good leg twitch. I had no idea what they wanted, or why I was here. All I knew is that they were giving me a check up, or something.

A middle aged woman came out and called my name.

"Edward Cullen?" She looked overly tired, and very stressed. Well, that's something to check off my list. Nurse.

Of course, in this, there's no way I can be whatever I want.

She led the way down a starch white hallway. Every so often I'd see into the rooms and see a patient and their family crowded around. Nurses ran past us, hurrying to help whoever needed it.

She opened a door to an empty room, and shuffled me in. With a promise the doctor would soon be there, she left.

I looked at the walls around me. Perfectly white, like outside. There were pictures on the walls. One was a painting of an ocean landscape. I nearly laughed at that. If only life was like that.

The next ones nearly had me in tears.

A small picture, obviously drawn by a child, sat closest to me. It was an attempted replica of the ocean landscape. Of course, it wasn't, being drawn by what looked like a five year old.

But my eyes caught on the tiny plate beneath the picture, stating who drew it.

_Molly Samantha Phipps_

_Age 6_

_Born June 14, 1994_

_Leukemia patient_

_Died August 23, 2000_

I felt tears prickling behind my eyes. Six years old. Dead.

The next picture was another landscape, but more realistic.

A storm rolled over a cliff that bordered a sandy shore below. The sky was dark, and I could practically hear the wind howling. If you looked closer to the shore, you could see tiny footprints leading off into the distance.

And on the wooden frame, there were words.

_No matter if a storm strikes you, if you keep going, you'll get where you are meant to be._

And there below it, was another wooden square.

_Gina Marie Wood_

_Age 22_

_Born March 18, 1963_

_Victim of drunk driver_

_Went into a coma_

_Died September 26, 1985_

My thoughts were interrupted by the doctor coming in.

He looked young for his job. Maybe just out of medical school.

"Hello Edward, I'm Dr. Cullen." His smile was genuine, and he held out a hand for me to shake.

"I understand your situation," he began as we let go, "And today we're just going to do a few x-rays, to make sure everything is okay." I nodded, that was simple enough.

Dr. Cullen opened the door, and started walking towards another room. I followed, utterly bored.

He pointed to a bed for me to sit on. I had to lift my bad leg to get it onto it, much to my embarrassment. But Dr. Cullen's eyes were kind, and he still had a smile. I relaxed a bit.

He took the x-rays, from outside of the room. He helped me back into my chair, but he didn't move any further.

"Edward, I'm going to have these developed, so just stay in the room until someone comes back to see you. Then we'll discuss what's going on and what you should be doing." He paused for a moment, and his eyebrows knit.

"Is your arm bothering you?"

I looked at him like he was crazy. "Um, no. It's fine. Why?"

"No reason," He turned swiftly and left the room. I felt my nerves skyrocket as I made my way back down the hall. Was there something wrong with my arm? I mean, I knew that I had been shot in the shoulder, but they said it wasn't serious. And it hadn't hurt me at all…

I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate.

I spent the next few minutes in my room going over every word I could remember from the last hospital, when they were telling me what had happened. All I could come up with was the news about my brother.

Dr. Cullen came back, but this time he wore a frown.

"Edward, I suppose I should say the good news first…Your leg is making improvements. The part where the bone and muscle had been damaged by the bullet has grown considerably. I think, with proper physical therapy, you might just regain the use of it." His frown deepened.

"However, on the x-rays of your upper body, we picked something up." He slid the picture on top of a square of light. Pointing to a spot around my collar bone, he spoke again.

"See here, there seems to be something there, in your shoulder. We found that it was fragments from a bullet. And they're still inside you." I froze.

"It's dangerous, because we think it might penetrate your bloodstream and block an artery going to your heart. The sooner we get it out of you, the better.

"We would like to schedule an operation for tomorrow, because it's not safe to have that in you. The procedure will be quick and painless, and you'll only have to stay here for a little while to we can monitor you for a bit." I was in shock. Surgery? Again?

"I imagine you have some questions," Dr. Cullen said kindly, "But I think it would be best if you called your family so they could come down here. You'll be staying here tonight, so we can run tests on you before the surgery." And then he was gone.

I picked up my cell phone and dialed the only number I could think of.

"Hello?" Her voice was concerned.

"It's me. Um, I just thought I'd say that I can't come to church tomorrow." I spoke sadly and apologetically. I felt ashamed that I was pulling out on an agreement. Once again, I found myself thinking that if I was normal, I wouldn't miss it.

"Edward! Are you okay? Do you need me down at the hospital?" She sounded anxious.

For some reason, I lied to her. "No, it's nothing big. They just, um, want to help me out. Physical therapy and stuff."

"Do you want me down there with you?" I think she could tell something was wrong. I shook my head, even though she couldn't see.

"Nah, it's nothing. Go to church tomorrow, tell me what happens. I'll be back home in a few days, so maybe we could go to the park together?" I think my voice sounded a bit frantic.

"Sure, Edward." A pause. "If you need me, call me, okay?" I agreed and shut the phone. A nurse came in as soon as I had.

"Mr. Cullen, we need to take a little blood." I held out my arm apathetically. I just wish this was over.

A little blood was an understatement. She drew out a ton, leaving me woozy and tired.

Before she left, she turned off the lights. "Mr. Cullen, you're probably feeling a bit fatigued, so you may go to sleep, we'll wake you if we need anymore tests." She was gone, but not before I had already fallen asleep.

**This chapter was dedicated to my aunt. She was my mother's only sibling, but she died at the age of 22. A drunk driver hit her head on, and left her in a coma. She died shortly after. The drunk driver wasn't hurt.**

**My aunt, Gina Marie, left behind a little boy who lived with his father or my grandparents for the rest of his life. I wasn't born until about nine years later, my sister two years prior to me. We never met my aunt, and we'll never know her. But every year on her birthday we visit her grave. (:**

**I'd like to thank all my reviewers! **

**What do you think will happen next? Will Bella know about Edward's surgery?**

**Review!**


	6. Never Let You Go

**Ahhh, so short! I'm sorry, I had to stay after school today, then I had a lot of projects. I'll write twice as much tomorrow, okay?**

**I've never had surgery, nor been a hospital patient, nor ever been exposed to morphine, so I could be totally wrong about all of this. I'm just guessing.**

**And sorry, Edward's last name is Masen, I just slipped up.**

**This one is called Never Let You Go (by Third Eye Blind)**

_**Previously . . .**_

_Before she left, she turned off the lights. "Mr. Masen, you're probably feeling a bit fatigued, so you may go to sleep, we'll wake you if we need anymore tests." She was gone, but not before I had already fallen asleep._

**EPOV**

I woke up to an empty hospital room. It took me a minute to remember why I was here. I was examining my bruise where the nurse had drawn blood when Dr. Cullen came in.

"Hello Edward, I see you're up." He smiled faintly. "You certainly slept for a while there."

I nodded slightly, wondering why he was here.

"In fact, you slept so long, you very nearly missed your surgery." I paled. So it was time.

He nodded to himself grimly.

"We'll have someone here in a minute to give you anesthesia, and you probably won't wake up again for a while. Is there anyone you would like us to call?" I shook my head roughly.

"No, I'm fine." I replied. I noticed my voice sounded gruff. I just wanted to get this over with. I didn't want them poking around my arteries. That was way to close to my heart for my liking, but what choice did I have?

He left the room, leaving me in my thoughts. The next thing I knew, a woman was giving me a shot in my arm, and I felt my head going dizzy. Then I blacked out.

------------------

The first thing I noticed was a bright light. It hurt my eyes. I scowled.

"Edward, can you hear me?" I recognized that voice vaguely.

"Dr. Cullen?" I asked. My head was swimming.

"Yes, it's me. You also have another visitor." His voice sounded funny.

I tried to look around for the visitor, but I couldn't focus my eyes, and my head felt heavy.

"We've put you on morphine," the doctor spoke, "You'll be pretty out of it for a while, but it was necessary. You'll have a scar and some bruising where we removed the bullet shards." I just nodded my head dumbly. The doctor's voice was funny. I found myself chuckling.

"Who is here to visit me? Is it Noah? Are you there, Noah?" My eyes finally found dark brown ones. I squinted.

"Bella?" I asked blearily. I think she nodded, but I couldn't tell. I was glad she was here, it was nice having my best friend around. I told her that.

"You know, Bella, you're my very bestest friend," I giggled, "Except Ben of course. Where did you say he was?" I looked around for him again.

"Er, he's not here right now, Edward," her pretty voice answered, but I still frowned.

"Not here? Oh, I bet he was bringing mother and father. They always loved him best, you know," I said matter-of-factly.

She didn't reply for a minute.

"Bella?" I couldn't see her through my blurry eyes anymore.

"Edward, I think it's time you go back to sleep," She spoke quietly and gently, so much that I couldn't refuse.

"Okay, fine, but tell Ben I love him. I love my best friends, you too. Don't forget to tell him, Bella, cause I'll be asleep." I had to make sure she told him.

"I will." Bella said something else, but I didn't catch it. I felt even dizzier, and set my head comfortably down on the pillow.

"Night Bella," I mumbled before I fell asleep again.

**Awww, poor Eddie. How do you think he'll react? Will he remember his conversation?**

**I would certainly hope you knew who Ben was by now. No, it's not like the Ben in Twilight, it's a new character. Sorry, but I just loved that name, and it seemed to fit well.**

**Next chapter is Edward talking to Bella again, but after the morphine had worn off. **

**And the next chapter will probably be the Church scene, but maybe not. **

**When it is the church scene, you'll find out about Bella, or at least that's how I've planned it. **

**Review! (:**


	7. Already Gone

**Oh wow, I have so much to apologize for! I'm sorry I disappeared for a while. I was dealing with a bunch of stuff. I had my Spanish unit test on Thursday, and my social studies chapter test today (one was 58 questions, the other was 52, and I'm not talking about multiple choice, I'm talking essay and translations and true false where you have to rewrite every false question, and so on. Needless to say, one took an hour, and the other took an hour and a half to finish)**

**And then I had piano lessons Thursday night, and I needed to catch up on my sleep.**

**But I'll stop here. Excuses are for those who won't take the blame. I just hope you understand why I might not have written. It's entirely my fault, and I apologize. D:**

**Anyway, here's these chapters you've been looking forward to. You should see an increase in chapters now, maybe even five or six over the weekend.**

**I also need to apologize for the whole "Noah" incident. I didn't mean to mention him so early. You'll learn more about him later, but only a little. I didn't count him in the new character thing, because he plays an even smaller role than Phil did. It's a name mentioned in passing, but a name that was needed, so I'm not having him in there just to claim I came up with something. I don't do that.**

**I'm glad that you're glad it's not Emmett, cause I am too (did that make sense?)**

**Emmett will show up later, like Jasper has. I'm just not sure when. Charlie and Renee will be only mentioned in passing too.**

**And no, that doesn't mean that Noah is a relative of one of the characters because he plays a part similar to Bella's parents.**

**So just pretend you never heard his name if you want, it will be another few chapters at the very least until you hear of him again. I'm thinking of saving his part until one of the last chapters, actually, but you might get an explanation earlier than that.**

**Now that I'm done rambling, on to the story!**

**This chapter is called Already Gone(by the Eagles)**

_**Previously . . .**_

"_Night Bella," I mumbled before I fell asleep again._

**EPOV**

I woke up highly groggy, trying to remember what had happened. I looked up and saw a white ceiling, and white walls. In fact, everything seemed so pure and clean, it was disconcerting. So I was in the hospital. I wracked my brain to remember, and I came up with the surgery.

That's when I felt my shoulder. It certainly felt sore and painful. I tried to move it a bit, only to give up in pain. I looked around the room, and saw a small group of people. I paled.

"Geez Edward, don't get too excited or anything." Jasper and Alice laughed at his joke.

I looked at the person next to them in bewilderment. She only smiled back at me.

"But, how, why, but…?" I trailed off.

Bella came over and sat on my bed, and put her hand over mine.

"Calm down Edward, we heard about your surgery." Now she seemed a bit annoyed. "Thanks for telling me, by the way."

Jasper and Alice backed out of the room slowly.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Mr. They Only Need To Check Up On Me. Imagine my terror when I go to bring you lunch at the hospital, only to find you aren't in the physical therapy room, but in surgery." She stood up and was pacing back and forth, across the length of the bed. Her hobble was making her walk funny, but didn't take away any of the seriousness in the situation.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but she cut me off.

"No, don't say anything. Do you have any idea what I thought? They couldn't tell me why you were there, something about not being family. For all I could know, they were removing some deadly tumor or something!" She whirled on me, her eyes bright and angry.

She seemed to be waiting, so I tried to come up with something to say. "I'm sorry." I finally managed, examining my hands that were sitting on my lap. I don't think I could look her in the eye anymore.

She sighed and sat down. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have freaked out. But you should have told me. Grandma and I were worried sick over you, mister." That made us both laugh a bit, but I still continued to look at my hands.

"Edward?" I nodded to tell her I was listening. "I don't think you're going to tell me why you lied, but can you answer something else for me?" I looked up. Her face was concerned.

I nodded again, this time hesitantly.

She took a deep breath.

"They eventually told me what the surgery was about. Bullet shards. And knowing about your previous… occupation, I can guess where they came from, and why you're here." I sighed.

"But there was something that confused me. You mentioned someone…" She didn't say anything else, but I let out a strangled gasp.

I remembered her coming. My eyes opened wide, before I buried them in my hands. "Did I really talk to you yesterday?"

"Yes." She was quiet. "I was wondering who…. Ben was." I flinched on his name, but decided it was best I tell her.

"He was my b-brother." I said shakily. "Same, err, occupation." I couldn't say anymore, I was already fighting the tears. It dawned on her, though, a horrible look of recognition crossed her face. In an instant, she was hugging me. I let her sit on the bed next to me. She started crying, and I started crying, both of us hugging each other.

We stayed that way for a while, mourning my other best friend. But now I had a new one. One who was worried for me, one who cared about me, one who understood why there was no need to talk sometimes. And one who would comfort me when I felt like the world had crashed down, and there was no way back up. No way to stand up again.

Eventually we stopped. We both stared at the wall across from us, overlooking the small, rainy town of Forks. Bella sat up, detaching her arms from my shoulders, and I removed mine. She stood with her crutches, looking sad.

"Edward, the doctor said you could leave when you wanted. We already took care of the paperwork. I need to get back to Grandma's so I can cook her dinner." I nodded. She helped me back into my chair as well as she could. I felt my shoulder burn again, and decided I'd definitely need some ice and an aspirin tonight.

"Bella?" I asked. She made some sort of "mhmm" noise.

"What day is it?"

"Oh! Of course, you wouldn't know," her voice still sounded a little shaky. "It's Saturday. You woke up on Monday, and then you fell asleep again. They wanted you to stay so they could keep an eye on you. The next day, they thought they found another bullet shard, this time closer to your heart."  
We both seemed unnerved by that fact. "However, it was a false alarm. They had kept you under for a while, in case they needed to perform surgery again." I nodded.

And that was it. We didn't speak anymore. We both rode the bus, and Bella kept a small hand on mine, to provide comfort and reassurance. I certainly needed it. I felt empty for some reason.

She left me at my house, telling me to call if I needed anything. I stopped her just before she turned.

"Bella?" I called.

"Yes?" She turned around, confused.

"I'll be there tomorrow. At church." She smiled her grandma's smile, the one I loved.

"I'd like that." And she left, heading back to her grandma. Mrs. Caldwell always seemed like she knew something, so I wouldn't put it past her to know about my brother already. That never bothered me. But now Bella knew, and strangely enough, I felt better knowing she knew all about me. If only I knew all about her.

**Well, you know what that means. Church scene is coming! If you read my author's notes, you'll know what will happen. Are you excited? What do you think will happen?**

**I hope to have it released tonight, but tomorrow is the latest.**

**Let me know what you thought!  
I'd like to jump up and down right now! This story is on TWO communities!!!**

**Review? I really want to hit 100 in the next few chapters :D**


	8. So Small

**Hmm… I tried. That's all I can say. It took me a while to figure out exactly what I wanted Bella's past to be. I finally went with my original plan, but it might sound… bad/terrible/awful?**

**I don't really have any relatives that are soldiers. My grandpa was in the air force many decades ago, but that's the closest I can get.**

**I might end up rewriting this. I don't know, it didn't seem very deep to me. Not very realistic. If you think so, just tell me on a review and I'll rewrite it.**

**Very nearly 100 reviews! Yay (:**

**I thought I'd tell you all, I'm probably going to write another chapter for either American Girl or The Holy Gene next, so once that's up, I'll write the next chapter for this (if I don't rewrite this chapter)**

**This chapter is called So Small (by Carrie Underwood)**

_**Previously . . .**_

_If only I knew all about her._

**EPOV**

I didn't really listen through the sermon. Just like I had all last night, I thought about my brother. Bella sat next to me the entire time, and I could tell she knew something was wrong. Mrs. Caldwell was oblivious, though, she had no idea what was running through my mind.

I sat in my black pants, fidgeting. Bella and Mrs. Caldwell were in their Sunday best as well, but they looked much more comfortable in their pretty dresses.

When the sermon ended and the band started, I glanced at Bella, trying to silently communicate that I needed some fresh air and not to worry. Instead of that, she decided to just follow me.

We were in the back of the church, next to the doors. I just rolled myself out the door, Bella following me on crutches. I traveled through the hallways slowly, admiring the art. It had been a while since I was in this church. It was nice, the craftsmanship bringing back old memories.

We headed towards the door to the park silently. I held the door open for Bella, like the proper gentleman I wish I had always been.

Unfortunately, her crutch got caught on the door frame, and she tumbled forward. I held out my arms to catch her.

If anything good came out of my service in the army, it was the fact that I managed to get some good upper body strength, cause that looked like it would have hurt Bella if I didn't catch her in time.

I helped her stand up straight, laughing. Her face was beet red.

"Err, thanks Edward." She mumbled, trying to get her bearings. That only made me laugh harder.

"Aw, what are friends for?" I teased. The silence that seemed to have consumed us since yesterday was lifted, and I felt more comfortable.

"Are you okay?" I asked, now that I had stopped laughing. She looked up, her blush fading away.

"I guess."

"So, how about we head to that place you showed me?" I pointed past the trees to that first spot.

She nodded. We managed to get their quicker than before, and this time I was the one who sat down on the grass. Bella looked hesitant for some reason, but eventually joined me. We were leaning against a giant willow tree that hung off to the side of the clearing, our backs propped against the rough bark and the leaves acting like a giant umbrella, separating us from the rest of the world, like we were in our own little room.

"So…" We both started, then laughed.

"You first," I told her.

"Well, I was just wondering… what happened, you know, when you were over… there." She wanted to know what happened to me, exactly. It was quiet, while I considered this. Her hands were fidgeting in her lap, twisting around each other in untold patterns, and she was biting her bottom lip. So she was nervous.

I cleared my throat. "I err, joined when I was twenty-two. I signed up because he did, Ben, I mean."

"I spent most of my life trying to be like him, you know. I thought he was the best, the greatest person. My idol, you could say." I turned to her with a wry smile. Her eyes were wide, her expression a bit blank, but I thought I caught a hint of fear.

"You wouldn't understand entirely, I guess, the admiration a little sibling feels for their older sibling. We want… to be like them, I suppose, because we see how cool they are. It's something we're mostly only aware of at the beginning, when we're little. But we still keep trying sometimes, even past the age six." I chuckled a bit.

"I thought he was so confident, so brave. I wanted to be brave. So I followed.

"When I was twenty three, we were called to go to Iraq. I wasn't afraid because he would be there to look after me. We were to be in the same unit…"

I trailed off, unsure of how to say the rest.

"We spent most of our time helping the people. We spent some time building a school, once, and other times we volunteered at a hospital. There wasn't a lot of fighting." I winced a bit, thinking of what happened next.

"But then one day, some people invaded a town we were at. And then they started firing at my unit.

"My brother tried to get all the civilians out of shooting range. I was helping, because I thought that would be the best way to go about it. The rest of our unit was firing back." I took a deep breath.

"And then I felt something in my shoulder. I fell. I thought I felt something else in my leg, but I wasn't sure at the time. My brother came over to help, but…

"I'm not really sure what happened next." I whispered. "I woke up in a plane that was taking me back to America. Then, at the hospital, they told me about… Ben." My voice broke on the last word. I didn't think I could speak anymore. I just closed my eyes and tried to fight back the images of my memory. I felt as if something was lifted. Bella was the first person I had told about… that day. I didn't even tell my parents.

I felt Bella's arms around my middle, and her head against my chest. I smiled slightly and opened my eyes. Brushing away the tears that had formed, I thought of what to say next.

"So, what happened to you?" My voice was muted, almost inaudible. She looked up, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"My story is… quite similar to yours, yet different." She began. I was surprised, she had never told me anything of her past. I figured she would just ignore me.

"I was twenty one, in my last year of college. I needed scholarship money, though, because I wanted to continue my education. I wanted to be a doctor." She looked at her hands again.

"I thought I'd follow Grandpa's path," She smiled. "Yes, Grandma's husband.

"So I joined the air force. They said they'd pay for part of my college, and they didn't need me right away." My jaw opened, shocked.

"They taught me the basics of steering a plane for the next year, while I was still in school. Eventually they called me. I was to help on the supply planes, help deliver things to the war site. I wasn't actually driving the plane yet, just a helper.

"On one trip, we passed over an area where there was fighting. It was terrible, I was trying not to look." She looked away now, off into the forest. I was still shocked.

"The pilot told me to check something, I can't even remember what it was now. But on my way there, I passed a part of the plane where we stored fuel for the soldiers. And just as I passed, there was a flash. I felt fire and heat, and I remembered it hurting." Her eyes met mine, and I could see the fear, haunting her.

"They said I had burned myself badly, and damaged my legs. They very nearly amputated." I shuddered. Her voice grew very shaky and quiet.

"So they retired me too. I was put into a wheelchair, like you. They sent me back to Forks, because my parents had died so long ago, and she was my only living relative." I was unable to believe that had happened to her. She never showed what she had been through…

"I moved from my wheelchair though, regained the use of my legs. I started with a walker, and now I have these." She tapped her crutches softly.

She stopped talking for a moment, scrutinizing my frozen expression. She laughed. It seemed a little off than her usual laugh.

"Edward, you can stop being so crazy. I'm over it." She smiled slightly. I could tell she really was. But I wasn't over it. Not her story, or mine.

"But how…" I couldn't figure out what I was really asking, she did.

"I let go of the past. Things that happen to us," she hesitated, "Are always meant to happen. There's always a reason. I was sent home to take care of Grandma, obviously, and make a new best friend in the process." She said it in such a teasing manner, I started laughing, free of the feelings that had overwhelmed me when we started talking.

"Ms. Swan, who said I was your best friend?" I teased her back. She brightened, pleased that I wasn't going entirely insane.

"Well, I'd have to say it was the time you were high on morphine, prattling on about how I was your best friend." We were both grinning, but she wasn't winning that easily.

"Oh really?" I started tickling her middle. She tried to squirm away, but couldn't. We were both laughing hysterically.

"So, what do you have to say?" I asked, still tickling her.

"Mr. Edward Anthony Masen is not my best friend," she managed to choke out. I let go of her and she sat up, a wicked grin on her face.

"Nope, not my best friend. You're my _bestest_ friend." We both laughed.

"Aw, I'm flattered."

"Okay, Mr. Masen, don't let it all go to your big head."

I sighed dramatically.

"I just have one more question, though." I turned to her, suddenly serious, wondering what else she wanted to ask.

Her eyes lit up. "How did a guy in a wheelchair manage to torture me into submission by tickling?"

**I've got a preview for you guys!**

She left me alone for a moment, knowing I needed a second. I pulled out the box now, the one I hadn't touched in so long. I blew the dust off, wondering if I was ready. But then I thought it over, and slowly lifted the lid.

I saw the envelopes, and picked up the first with a shaky hand. Slowly opening the top, I pulled out the letter. Just as I spread out the letter, something fell out.

I picked up the small square, and flipped it over. Tears collected in my eyes as I remembered the day the picture was taken. We were sitting there in our uniforms. The small orphan child was between us. Ben was smiling, a hand on the little girl's shoulders. I held her hand. Ben was laughing at a joke that someone had just said. I looked at his eyes, thinking about my big brother.

He was great, always thinking about everyone else. He was one of the best people I had ever met in my life. And I missed him.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. She was there, wondering if I was okay.

I thought of what Ben had said that day we helped the girl, and what Bella had told me that day in the clearing. I thought of what Mrs. Caldwell had told me before.

_Everything happens for a reason._

I set the picture in the envelope and smoothed the letter out. I was ready to finish those letters now, and she was right there for me when I finished, ready to hold my hand.

Everything happens for a reason, always.

**Once again, tell me what you thought. If you hated it and want me to rewrite, it's just one review away!**

**So yeah, review!**


	9. Honey and the Moon

**Meh, it's not my best chapter, sorry!**

**I'll be updating again tonight or tomorrow.**

**I'd like to address my stupid week long absence! I'm SORRY! D:**

**You all have permission to tackle me, just so you know.**

**And to Annilaia, you better update soon. See? I updated, your turn! D**

**This chapter is called Honey and the Moon (by Joseph Arthur)**

_**Previously . ..**_

_Her eyes lit up. "How did a guy in a wheelchair manage to torture me into submission by tickling?"_

**EPOV**

_DINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG DONNNNGGG_

I woke with a start at the doorbell, maneuvered myself into my chair, and blearily opened the door. She was there, bright (and awake, ugh) and cheery. I tried to clear my vision, but my eyelids felt heavy and my eyes sticky.

"Mhhm, Bella, what are you doing here," I glanced at my watch, "At six in the morning?" The last part I spoke clearly, surprised I was awake this early.

"Oh calm down Mr. Cranky, I came to fetch you for a fun and fulfilling day!" She spoke with so much sarcasm, I was afraid of what she was having me do.

"Do I even want to know?" I grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and blinking.

"Grandma wanted someone to do a few errands, namely me, and I figured you owed me for the whole tickle fight yesterday." She said it with so much force, I knew better than to tell her no.

"Fine," I mumbled, "Give me a minute to get ready. Go wherever you want in the house, I'll be out in a minute." So I let her at the door, rolling to the downstairs bathroom.

When I rolled into the kitchen, intent upon getting my daily cup of coffee, I found Bella, and a clean kitchen. I blinked, unsure if I was going crazy.

"Bella?" I asked uncertainly, "Did you just clean my entire kitchen?" My voice was alarmed, and for good reason.

"Yes, you're such a pig, you know. I've got a bit of OCD-"

"I'll say." I interrupted, examining the dishes drying to the side of the sink.

She glared. "Anyway, I figured I ought to do something nice. Which included making us both coffee. But I see that might have been a mistake."

"No, no. Thank you," I said sheepishly, "I was just surprised, really."

She hobbled into the living room while I grabbed my fresh cup of coffee. She was staring at the pictures on the mantle. One picture, in particular, seemed to command her attention.

"Is that him?" She asked quietly, pointing to a dusty frame with our family portrait, the one we had taken when we were still in college.

"Yes," I whispered back.

"Oh," And with that final syllable, she turned and left, heading to the bus stop. I trailed behind, thinking of her response.

Sometimes I did wish I could talk about him, but right now I didn't. At least she knew when I didn't. But I guess that's why she's my best friend.

When I reached the bus stop, she was waiting for me with a slight smile, which I returned. She was magnetic, almost. I couldn't easily frown when she was smiling.

She was all business when we were settled, though.

"Okay, first stop is grocery shopping. Then we've got to pick up some things from the pharmacy." She was looking at a list. "Finally, we need to stop by the library."

"Is that all?" I groaned. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly a morning person like Bella. She hit me in the arm for that comment, but I raised an eyebrow playfully, reminding her of the tickle fight. We just ended up smiling.

The bus pulled up to the old grocery store then, and as we pulled up to the store, I laughed, remembering all the times I had hid in the endless isles with my brother. Bella gave me a smile, as if she knew what I was laughing at.

"Come here, Edward, I need to use you for something." She plopped a basket on the back of my chair, and I gave her a sour look.

"Oh, I see how it is. You brought me here to use me as a pack mule. And here I thought you actually enjoyed my company!" I faked being hurt, but she just laughed and headed off to the first isle.

"Go get milk," She commanded me, in a fake authority voice.

"Yes ma'am," I mumbled. People gave me odd looks as I rolled to the dairy section. They acted like they hadn't seen a person in a wheelchair before. It didn't really help my whole I-can't-believe-I'm-awake-this-early mood.

I panicked when I saw it. The milk was too high. I balked. How was I supposed to manage this? Everything at home had been accessible for the most part. And now I was in public.

I tried to reach it. I stretched as far as I could, but to no avail. I collapsed in my chair, my cheeks burning. I saw someone's had reach for the milk. I immediately turned a shade darker.

"Sorry," Bella mumbled. I noticed she had picked up other groceries, and she placed them into the basket. I bent my head, ashamed. She didn't speak, we just headed back to the register, paid, and arrived at the bus stop.

"I have everything but the books," she finally said. "We'll go to the library tomorrow, okay?"

I didn't answer.

On the bus, she kept her hand on mine the entire time, trying to reassure me. I hadn't really felt the humiliation that came with being so restricted yet. At least when it came to being vertically challenged. And let me tell you, it wasn't pleasant.

She followed me to the door. Just as I turned around to say goodbye, she spoke.

"It's okay, Edward." Her voice was soft.

I still couldn't say anything.

"You've been given the bad apple, like I once was. But if you keep searching, it'll get better. I promise." I wanted to know how she knew. It had happened to her, but what if it didn't happen to me? But she didn't say.

She just leaned over and kissed me on the cheek before speaking again. "Don't be hard on yourself. I have another errand I want to run with you tomorrow, okay?" I nodded slightly.

She gave my hand one last squeeze. "Have faith, Edward." And then she was gone, heading back to her own home.

**Uhmmm, review? Sorry this chapter stunk.**

**AWWW! She kissed his cheek (:**

**But was it friendly? It was friendly to him, but what about Bella?**

**Hmmm…**

**I think they'll notice each other that way very shortly, so no fear to those craving BxE romance. And something else big is coming up.**

**What could it be?**

**Review? **


	10. Revolution

**I wrote this on a tired mind, so it's probably odd.**

**I apologize for my forever long absence!! Don't kill me, please? D:**

**I tried, really. I was just caught up in a bunch of things going on.**

**I'm going to try harder now, though. **

**This chapter is called Revolution (by the Beatles)**

**Previously . . .**

_She gave my hand one last squeeze. "Have faith, Edward." And then she was gone, heading back to her own home._

**EPOV**

I didn't wait for Bella the next morning. I had a lot of thinking to do. A lot. I made my way through the streets, just thinking, not really noticing anyone around me.

The odd thing was, I wasn't really thinking. It was like a trance. Every so often, these pictures would flash through my mind. Eating cookies at Mrs. Caldwell's. My brother and I packing up our materials in the desert. Smiling at the people in the old towns. Laughing along while we helped rebuild a house. Meeting Bella. Seeing her familiar smile.

And that day in the hospital, when they told me. They all were jumbled, mixed up. And I couldn't help but remember the shame from yesterday. Just thinking about it made me want to crawl into a hole and never come out.

_Not like I could crawl anyway_, I thought bitterly.

I wanted to run away from everything. From the pity stares to my memories of my brother. I wanted to float away, forget everything and just sleep forever. I wanted to be the breeze that blew around the entire earth, seeing everything but remembering nothing.

I wanted to sleep, and control my dreams. I didn't want to think about that last day, I wanted to dream about a future with my family, or the past where I didn't have to deal with this.

I wanted to see Bella. She would make me feel better. But I couldn't face her. Not after yesterday.

So I just kept going. I started counting the tiles of the sidewalk.

_One… Two…. Three…_ At least this was partly mindless. I didn't have to think of all the things swimming in my head.

Somehow, I ended up in the clearing. I slid out of my chair and laid back into the soft grass. Still thinking. Staring up at the clouds.

Before I knew it, I had jolted awake. _I was asleep_? I looked up at the sky. It was approaching dusk, and I should be home. Careful not to slip on the grass, I managed to climb back into my chair quickly, and started back through the path. When I was rolling through the empty park, I saw someone walking down a hill. For some reason, I followed. I was in a trance, like earlier today.

The person was small. They slowly made their way to the cemetery, walking at a snail's pace. I didn't say anything, just followed.

The cemetery was peaceful. The last rays of the sunlight lit up the tombstones in an odd way. But not creepy.

The person stopped in front of one, and started mumbling. I sat there, transfixed.

The person stopped, and spoke louder. "I wondered if you would be here, Edward." Mrs. Caldwell. Her voice sounded hoarse.

I was silent, unable to come up with anything to say.

"This is my husband's grave," she said, still not turning around. "He died about twenty years ago. I come here a few times a week to talk."

I felt like a child listening to an awkward conversation. One they didn't want to face or hear.

"He may be in heaven, but he hears me as well as you hear me now." She turned, a smile on her withered face.

"He doesn't need a voice or a face. His ears are the wind, hearing my voice all the way up there. I know he's there watching over me. Because he cared for me." I was frozen.

"You know," she began, looking at the fading sun, "I see you so broken sometimes. But you needent be. Your brother is watching over you, like my husband is. They keep an eye on us, because we're the ones who need taking care of."  
She started walking away, but paused once she passed me. "Edward, I think you need to realize what you are feeling. You are lost, like a leaf separated from it's tree. But if you would face it, instead of wandering blindly, you might just see the way. Try talking to your brother, or at least Bella. She cares for you, you know. She's had her share of loss, but she wants to take care of you. She doesn't think any less of you, by the way, for yesterday." And then she started walking. But I had to ask her one thing.

"Really?" I called out quietly. I wasn't sure which part I was asking about, though.

"Yes, I think so." She faced me again.

"I expect you'll be at church with us, correct?" Her tiny voice was almost lost in the wind.

"Of course," I replied, mulling the details over in my mind.

I started to say something. What I would say, I wasn't sure. But when I looked up to speak, she was already gone.

I rolled back to Mrs. Caldwell's house. Bella was sitting on the front porch. Almost like she was waiting for me.

We stared at each other in silence while I sat next to her, the cool brick under me soothing my nerves.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's okay." Her voice was soft, like there wasn't anything to forgive. "You needed time to think."

I looked up at the dark sky, a few pricks of white showing already. I thought to my brother, I wonder what happens now?

"I'm not me anymore. I'm not the same person I used to be." I said quietly, ashamed.

"No, you're not the same person. I'm not the same person I was before I was in the fire, either. But this is who you were meant to be, Edward, so you are yourself. You are just different than your old self." I tried to think that over.

We sat in silence for a moment. I felt her cool hand grab mine, and I tightened my fingers around her.

After the sky turned darker, I spoke in a strangled voice. "That's why I'm feeling wrong, I guess. I'm holding onto what I used to be, but I don't think I can do that anymore, can I?" She didn't speak, just rested her head on my shoulder.

We were still sitting when the rain started pattering. The overhanging above us kept us from getting soaked, but we both felt the rain seep into our shoes and the bottom of our jeans. But we didn't do anything.

The rain stopped, and the moon shone brighter. Bella didn't move from my shoulder. We were both staring at the water as it trickled into the drains on the street.

It was probably my imagination, but as the last of the rain flowed away, it felt like I was letting my past go. Accepting it more, I suppose. I didn't know how I did it, but Bella's hand in mine seemed to help.

I wondered at one point, about the feeling I felt pulsing through me. I wasn't sure, but I think it was hope.

**Yes, things are still friendly between them. But soon things will change. I'm thinking in the next two chapters, one of them will start reaching out toward a more intimate thing. Right now, they're just extremely best friends. Very close. **

**Oh, and someone go tell vjgm to go update!**

**Review?**


	11. One Week

**Sorry for the long break again, but I'm trying, really, it's just the end of the term at my school and I'm dealing with tests and projects and trying to keep an A in my math class. **

**I'm trying to make my chapters longer, because I know I like it when I read long chapters, but tell me if I failed entirely. I think I speed through things too quickly, focusing on the ending rather than the road there, so I'm going to try to improve my writing. **

**A new character pops up. It was needed, because there aren't any acquaintances in Twilight that are of the proper age. I borrowed Charlie's name, though, but he's not supposed to be a younger version of Bella's dad. **

**In this story, Bella's parents are dead, if you remember, but they were Charlie and Renee.**

**Charlie is a common name, so don't freak out on me.**

**I'd like to apologize in advance. I have no idea how physical therapy is done, but I did a little research. **

**This chapter is called One Week (by Barenaked Ladies)**

**It's currently my favorite song. I always smile when I hear it. :D**

_**Previously. . .**_

_I wondered at one point, about the feeling I felt pulsing through me. I wasn't sure, but I think it was hope._

**EPOV**

I squinted my eyes as I felt the sun on my skin. I tried to remember what was going on. I moved my hand around, still too tired to open my eyes. My cold hand met colder and wet wood. Of course, the rain.

There was someone next to me. I opened an eye, and saw Bella, sleeping soundly. Our fingers were still intertwined. I sat up carefully, trying not to wake her up. She let out a small moan, but didn't wake.

Looking around, I saw the damage the rain had done. The yard was soaked, and the early morning sun was having a difficulty drying it up. Staring at the puddles in the grass, I thought of what happened last night. I ran my hand through my hair, confused. I felt different. I wasn't sure why. It was sort of like an empty feeling, but not in a bad way. I felt cleansed, not so weighted down anymore. It was certainly odd. Normally I woke up feeling… sort of sick in a way. Now I felt well, whole.

I glanced down at Bella again. Did she help me get over this? I'd have to say so. I lifted our hands, examining them.

Her hands were so tiny, as small as a child's hand. They were soft, and pleasantly cool. But most importantly, they were comforting, and caring. My hand looked odd next to her pale one, though. It was big and calloused. Sighing, I set our hands down again.

What now? I may be feeling different, but that didn't mean I wasn't confused. Should I wake Bella up? Should I let her sleep? But I can't exactly take her anywhere, not without being able to walk. I can't exactly leave her sleeping on the porch, though.

I spaced out, staring at the mass of dark pine trees that encroached upon the house. I didn't really think much, I just felt. I felt the empty feeling, and the relief. I felt energized and tired at the same time. Like my mind was awake, but my body wanted another few minutes of sleep.

I felt her stir next to me. I didn't even look over until she spoke. I was too wrapped up on the pale light the cloudy sky sent out, still not thinking much.

"Edward?" She spoke, her voice a bit slurred from sleep.

Turning toward her, I nodded. "Yes?" She let go of our hands for a moment to balance herself better into a sitting position. My mouth twitched slightly down, missing her hand in mine.

"How are you feeling?" She asked quietly. I wasn't sure how to answer. Right now, I didn't feel like talking very much.

"I'm not entirely sure. Better, I think." I whispered, staring at nothing in particular. My attention snapped back to her face when she didn't reply. She seemed to be considering something, her face thoughtful.

"Any ideas for today?" She finally said, taking her turn to space out.

"Not really," I poked my useless leg, "Is there anything you need to do for your Grandma today?" She shook her head.

"She's at someplace today," I looked at her expectantly, but Bella wouldn't elaborate.

"I talked to her last night," I told her, scrutinizing her calm expression and giving up, "Before I came here, I mean. She told me some things about your grandfather and her."

Bella nodded. "She misses him sometimes."

"She told me that he watches over her. That they all do, those people who died. She said that if I wanted to, I could reach out to my brother, because he was watching me." I swallowed. I wanted to know what she thought about it all.

Bella took my hand again. "I think he is. Why wouldn't he. He wants to you feel better, Edward, I know it."

I nodded, and suddenly, I shot my head up. "I know where I want to go today," I said with determination.

Bella looked confused, her brow scrunched in a way that made me let out a short laugh.

"Bella, would you care to accompany me to the gym?" I teased her.

Smiling back, she replied. "Why, of course, Mr. Masen."

-------

We arrived at the gym shortly. Unlike my first time here, I didn't feel nervous. I felt relaxed, especially with the familiar pad of Bella hobbling along behind me.

The cool air felt good when we rolled/hobbled in. Bella led me to a mat, and told me to sit down. I complied, a bit confused.

"I'm sure you haven't really had this done much before, but we're going to use massage therapy to help your leg. Trust me, I've done this before. It might be a bit painful, but it helps a lot." She pushed my other leg away, and straightened my bad leg out. She was right, it felt odd, well, for the part of my leg I could feel.

"While we do this, we might as well stretch you out. Here, try to reach your toes on your bad leg." I tried futilely, only reaching to my knee. She laughed, and I gave her a sour look.

"Sorry, its just you're not very flexible. But you are a guy, I suppose." Chuckling, she continued to move my leg around, telling me how to do it myself. I sighed a bit, this would be a long road.

She started moving my leg up and down. "This is called passive motion. You probably can't feel part of it, but it'll help you." I just nodded and waited, trying to record all this for a later day.

As we were working, I heard someone approach. It was a young boy, no older than thirteen, in a wheelchair. The sight flashed a bit of perspective into my mind.

"Hello," he grinned. "Physical therapy?" He asked. I nodded.

Bella spoke to him. "You?"

"Out of the hospital," he proclaimed proudly, "They finally told me that I could go to a regular gym, and that I didn't need to come in for electrical stimulation." I vaguely recalled the doctors doing that to me in the hospital back before I came to Forks. It wasn't particularly fun. Mostly incredibly dull, and without results for me.

The kid picked a mat next to us. "I'm Charlie, by the way." He was grinning, it made me smile back.

"Edward," I said. Pointing to Bella, I spoke, "And this is my friend Bella. She's helping me, because I'm not really competent." I laughed.

Stretching, he started asking questions. "So, why are you here?" I wasn't sure what he meant. It seemed like there was an obvious answer, but I wasn't sure what it was.

"Soldier," Bella replied for me. I flash of realization dawned over me. He wanted to know why I was paralyzed.

"Well, you're braver than me," he spoke practically and casually, "I was just in a car wreck myself." I shook my head. He seemed braver than me.

"And you?" His eyes zeroed in on Bella. He noticed the way her leg was sitting on the mat. I had never noticed before, but it was twisted a little funny when she was sitting.

Her hands froze on my leg, and I looked at her. As far as I knew, Bella had only told her grandmother and me about what happened. Finally, she spoke, but slowly.

"I was in a fire. Air force plane," she smiled kindly at the boy.

"Wow. You guys must be some of the bravest people I've met. It's good you have each other. I imagine you have a lot in common. My buddies have broken legs before, but none of them really understand what it's like to be in a wheelchair. At least they try, though." He pulled himself up into his wheelchair. I was just shocked, that he could speak so calmly about this.

Turning around, he spoke. "I'm going to go work over there," he pointed to a few machines, "Talk to you guys later."

We were both silent for a moment. Finally, Bella stood up. "Okay, now we're going to do active motion." I gave her a startled look, and she laughed.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Here," she held out a hand, and helped me into my chair. She left her crutches leaning against a wall, and it was the first time I had ever seen her walk without them. She leaned on things as she walked over to a few bars. Her walk was weak, but showed signs of determination. She stumbled a bit, but never fell.

I stayed rooted to the ground, surprised. Her tinkling laugh rang out. "I suppose you haven't seen me walk before, eh?" She grinned like a triumphant gold medalist. I cleared my head enough to roll over to the bars.

"Now, in active motion, you're going to have to put forth more effort. The first thing we're going to try is assisted standing." I balked.

"Edward, don't be afraid, I won't let you hurt yourself," She spoke quietly, seeing my expression. I trusted her though, and let out a shaky breath.

"Okay."

I positioned myself between two bars, and Bella stood in front of me. I didn't see how she could catch me if I fell, but her eyes were sparkling with kindness. I had to have faith in her.

Slowly, I extended my hands to the bars, getting a firm grip. Bella held onto my sides, planning to pull some of the weight up herself.

I pushed down, raising myself partially. When Bella was sure I had a good grip on it, she pushed my bad leg onto the floor. I rested some of my weight still on the chair with my good leg.

In a rush, I started to move my good leg to the floor. When I tried to move it, though, I fell. Unfortunately, Bella didn't have a good grip on me yet, and I nearly fell on top of her. Groaning, I sat up on the floor.

"That was painful," I mumbled.

A hand on her head, Bella smiled. "It was good though. Better than I was when I started out." I smiled back.

I turned when I heard laughing. Charlie was cracking up at our spill, but not in a mean way. It was almost as if he was trying to encourage me. To tell me not to take this spill so seriously.

"Again?" I questioned. She nodded, helping me up.

------

We stopped a few hours later. I hadn't made much progress, but I was feeling fine. I was excited to start. It may be a long road, but I knew it was worth taking. Bella and I made plans to work every morning, except Sundays when we'd be at church with Mrs. Caldwell.

The days seemed to melt together. We saw Charlie often. He was getting better, even though I showed hardly any progress. It wasn't disheartening, though. With those two, I spent most of my time in the gym laughing my head off.

I was making some progress though. It was minimal. I could reach past my knees now, and I could almost stand with the help of Bella and the bars. Sometimes Charlie and I tried to have a competition, but we'd both fall down after a fraction of a second, laughing.

Mrs. Caldwell seemed gone more often, but perhaps it was because I was more busy. Either way, the next month passed without much of anything interesting happening. I practically lived at the Mrs. Caldwell's house now, sometimes even spending a night on the couch. Sometimes I just fell asleep without noticing, talking to Bella until we both nodded off.

It was one morning in particular, a little over a month after that first day in the gym. Bella had gone out early to go to the store. I was waking up. As soon as I was alert, I knew something was wrong. It was too quiet. There was no creaking of the oven or mumble as Mrs. Caldwell talked to her friends on the phone. There wasn't even the slight sound of her snoring out on the back porch.

Sliding quickly into my chair, I rolled onto the back porch, frantic. What I saw there wasn't a good sight.

"Mrs. Caldwell?!"

**Oooohhhh. I bet you all can guess what happened, but can you?**

**Is it what you think?**

**And what do you think will happen next?**

**I'd like to thank all my reviewers, and apologize for the delays! I'll try harder, really. I almost have 200 reviews, and I'm excited!**

**Review?**


	12. Bless the Broken Road

**So I haven't updated in two months. I officially win worst author of the year.**

**I did have half of this written forever ago, but I finished the rest today.**

**Like I told the readers of my other story, you have permission to throw rotten vegetables at me. However, since I didn't update this one for TWO months, you can also throw heavy objects as well.**

**The much anticipated chapter, I see. Many of you think she died, while others think she didn't. Who is to say?**

**Short chapter, my bad, but I wanted to get something out for you guys. I think I'll finish off updating my other stories tonight or tomorrow, and then work on this one again.**

**I think I'll set up days of the week for updates, for each of my stories. **

**And for the readers of my other fanfic, Only Hope, I'm planning on starting the sequel finally.**

**This chapter is called Bless the Broken Road (by Rascal Flatts)**

**Previously . . .**

_Sliding quickly into my chair, I rolled onto the back porch, frantic. What I saw there wasn't a good sight._

"_Mrs. Caldwell?!"_

**EPOV**

I scrambled to get my cell phone from my pocket. Dialing 911 with fumbling fingers, I stared wide eyed in panic at Mrs. Caldwell.

She was sitting in her swing, like usual, but this was different. She wasn't breathing. She wasn't waking up. Something had gone terrible wrong.

"Hello, what is your emergency?" A cool female voice answered. It astounded me that she could be so calm when something like this was happening.

"My address is 5663 Old West Road. My grandma has just passed out. I don't know what's wrong with her." My voice was rushed, coming out in a big blur. I was scared. So scared.

"Okay, don't panic, we'll have help by soon." She hung up, leaving me frozen. I wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't easily try to resuscitate her, not in my wheelchair. Plus I wasn't certain how I could. I grabbed her frail wrist and tried to feel a pulse.

My mind might have been playing tricks, but I thought I could feel a pulse. I relaxed a bit, but the tension never left.

I heard sirens coming, then. I thanked the lord that this was a small town. EMTs rushed in, and I pointed to Mrs. Caldwell. They took her onto a stretcher. I followed. They let me into the back of the ambulance. I sat there, worried out of my mind, holding her hand. What had happened? Why now? Why her?

I called Bella, but she didn't answer. I left a message, hoping she found it in time. Maybe she knew what was happening.

I felt tears in my eyes. Mrs. Caldwell couldn't die. She was my family now. She was really my grandma now. I hadn't lied on the phone.

The people in the ambulance were examining her. They didn't seem to use the defilibrators, so I had some hope. Maybe she did have a pulse.

They were talking back and forth to each other, but I understood none of it, too terrified to concentrate.

The wailing ambulance arrived at the hospital. The doors were ripped open, and the EMTs rushed out with Mrs. Caldwell.

A remaining EMT spoke to me. Her face was kind. "Just go to the waiting room." Catching my expression, she reassured me. "I think she'll be fine. Don't worry."

And with that, she was gone, going after the stretcher. I wheeled myself to the hospital entrance and to the waiting room. I didn't move an inch, petrified for Mrs. Caldwell.

But then the doors opened, and in walked Bella. She seemed worried as well, but not scared like me. What was wrong with her? Did she not realize that her grandma could be dying?

"Edward!" She called, running over. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have left you there with her all alone! You had no idea!" She was breathing heavily, and I tried to calm her down.

"No idea?" My voice was slightly sharp, and I felt a bit of shame.

"Oh, Edward," She sighed and bit her lip. "My grandma has cancer."

I stared, shell shocked. I recalled knowing about her cancer, years and years ago. But I thought she had beaten it. Apparently not.

"For how long?" I choked out. Bella clasped my hands and sat down next to me.

"She had it for the first time, many years ago. But it had a reappearance a year ago." I gaped at her, too petrified to say anything.

Bella looked worried, and I tried to say something. I was interrupted by a doctor, though. It was Jasper's father, Carlisle. "Bella, Edward, would you please come with me."

Bella let go of my hands, and stood tall. She walked after Carlisle with her shoulders straight. To some, she might seem like a stiff, freaked out by the hospital and not wanting to be here. But to me, she looked like a heroine, walking down a long hallway to meet her fate. I was envious of her bravery.

But Carlisle's kind face was not devastated, so I latched onto hope as I wheeled after Bella, heading toward the hospital room that Mrs. Caldwell was in.

She looked so frail. There was an IV in her arm, and tubes over her face. But she seemed to be alive, breathing.

"She just passed out. It's common for some cancer patients. You should be able to take her home tomorrow." He said. I nodded, unsure of what else to say.

I rolled over to the side of her bed, and Bella followed, sitting on a chair next to me. Carlisle left.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I broke the silence, my voice pained.

"I didn't want to worry you," She whispered, holding Mrs. Caldwell's hand. I looked at her, drawing her gaze from her grandmother.

"That's not all, is it?" I asked.

She shook her head, tears forming in her doe brown eyes.

"It's most of it," she said quietly, "but it's not all." She looked at me intently, now. "I-I felt like… if it was just me and her who knew, it was less real." She finally said before dissolving into tears.

I did as best as I could, and reached out to hug her. "She's the only family I have, Edward." She sobbed. "I don't know what I'd do if she died." I patted her back while she cried into my shirt.

"It's going to be okay," I told her, more to convince myself than anyone else. "And I'll be here for you and her through the entire thing."

And it was true. The next three weeks, we were in and out of the hospital. Mrs. Caldwell was getting worse. I knew it, even though the doctors said nothing.

And then, three and a half weeks after I found out, we got the news. Bella cried for an entire day. We were sitting in Mrs. Caldwell's room, like usual, and Bella never stopped. I sat down on the spare bed, and held her while she cried. Not for herself, but for her grandmother. I cried as well, and remembered the time Bella was there for me, when we sat on a bed similar to this after my surgery.

Carlisle told us to get some rest, because Mrs. Caldwell would be in the hospital for a few days. Bella argued for all she was worth, refusing to leave her grandmother.

But I coaxed her home, back to her house. We sat on the bench on the back porch while Bella cried out her last tears.

**If it's fine with everyone, I'll start the romance next chapter or so. **

**Remember, you can throw rotten veggies!**

**Review?**


	13. Dirty Little Secret

**I've been spending some time writing my non-posted stories, like the sequel to Only Hope and the updated version of The Holy Gene, plus this chapter. I was going to make American Girl my next update, but after I received a very… odd pm from a very… curious reader (lol, they know who they are, and that I love their replies – and stories!) I became motivated to write the next chapter. So I started writing it, and it took me a while. This is a very crucial chapter, and I had to rewrite it many many many times, but I think it's sort of right right now. (haha, right right) **

**I am disappointed that it didn't turn out longer, but I don't think there was much I could do. I hope you like it, and I hope it is good. But take a note in this, if I get a very unexpected yet perfectly wonderful pm or review, it may motivate me to do more.**

**To my readers of my other stories, I plan on having the first chapter up for the Only Hope Sequel, the next two chapters for Little Orphan Bella, and the next update or two for American Girl up all by Monday. Little Orphan Bella will probably be updated tonight, and American Girl is also a possibility. To the readers of Holy Gene, no worries. I've already redone the first two chapters, and I've already done the second. Busy busy busy, but I'm working on it. I plan on starting a new system.**

**Fridays : Work on/post Little Orphan Bella, American Girl, & Stand**

**Saturdays : Only Hope Sequel, and Little Orphan Bella/Stand**

**Sundays : Work on The Holy Gene, and work on/update American Girl**

**Mondays : Post finished American Girl, work on/update Stand**

**Tuesdays : Work on/update Stand, work on/update Little Orphan Bella**

**Wednesday : Post Stand (if not already done), work on/post Little Orphan Bella**

**Thursdays : Work on American Girl & Only Hope Sequel**

**So that leaves…**

**American Girl – Two updates a week at the least**

**Little Orphan Bella – Three updates a week**

**Only Hope Sequel – Twice a week**

**Stand – Two to Three times a week**

**The Holy Gene – Work on once or twice a week**

**This chapter is called Dirty Little Secret (does anyone else LOVE the All American Rejects?)**

_**Previously . . .**_

_But I coaxed her home, back to her house. We sat on the bench on the back porch while Bella cried out her last tears._

**EPOV**

I held Bella in my arms, trying to comfort her. I wasn't really sure what to say. Mrs. Caldwell was like my own grandmother, but she was Bella's real grandmother. Six months, my god.

It still didn't click in my brain. I couldn't seem to process the fact that Mrs. Caldwell had six months. And she was already going. Forgetting more things, sleeping more. They had mentioned to me before we left that we might have to keep her at the hospital at all times. Either that, or work out something with hospice.

Bella didn't know about that fact, thankfully. I couldn't imagine her more broken. She had lost her parents, and was losing her grandmother, her only living relative. But I meant what I told her, I would be there for her.

I would be there for Bella for as long as she wanted me. I couldn't even remember what it was like without Bella, even though it had been a few months. She was central to my life, now. Best friends in every sense of the word. Though the word seemed inadequate somehow, not enough.

She quieted her gasps, ashamed of her crying. I brushed her tears away, frowning. She was always like that, saying sorry for everything. Didn't she realize that nothing she did was ever bad?

"I'm sorry," she whispered, trying to move away in shame. I just held her there, not letting her withdraw. I didn't want my best friend to be a shell because of this.

"Don't be," I told her, smiling in hopes to cheer her up. She looked at me now, raw pain and fear, and mostly sadness in her brown eyes.

"Maybe you should sleep a little, take a nap. It might make you feel better. My mom always said that a few tears and a good night's sleep can help heal almost anything." I told her gently. She had dark circles under her eyes from the stress, and she needed some sleep.

Her eyes sparked a bit, almost defiantly, but she never said anything until a moment later. "I suppose you're right." She mumbled. "But can I just take a nap here?"

I must have looked surprised, but I tried to mask it. "That's perfectly okay." I told her, and she relaxed a bit, getting into a more comfortable position.

In the end, she was leaning against my side, her feet stretched out and her head on my shoulder. I held her hand, a lifeline between us two, and hummed her a lullaby that I was writing in my head.

She drifted off slowly, but eventually. Her head had fallen, resting in my lap. I leaned against the side of the bench, looking down at her. She really did have the softest hair. I stroked it, not thinking about anything, really.

And the loveliest face. I traced her features, smiling to myself. I was lost in a sort of limbo, the news about Mrs. Caldwell sending my head into space.

_Bella had a nice nose_, I noted, outlining it. Not bumpy or big, but not pinched and too tiny. Perfect. Like her.

And her lips… my hand hesitated, pausing on her cheek. Something in my brain connected, and I froze.

My God.

_Her lips? Perfect? Lovely?_ I must be going crazy. It was probably the stress.

A little voice was nagging at the back of me head, trying to be known. _She's my best friend_. I shook my head, trying to clear the thought.

I did not lo… _No, Edward, don't even think it_.

But the thought resurfaced, this time in feeling rather than words. It stuck to my brain like glue. Like it was always there, yet I didn't see it until now.

She was just so wonderful. Innocent in a way, but stubborn. She and I could talk about anything endlessly. And she was there for me in some of the darkest of my days.

_Darkest of my days._ And now it was Bella's. Her last blood relative. Gone. I couldn't do this. I couldn't hurt her. I had to pretend like I didn't know. Like everything was the same.

She probably wouldn't even want me. Me, a guy with a leg so bad he can't even walk. A guy in a wheelchair. A guy who is nothing special. Her best friend. She would laugh.

And I really couldn't try to make her mine, not when this was happening in her life. Not right after, either. She would probably find someone else, anyway. Someone who was better for her.

I smiled, brushing my fingers across her lips. But at least I had now. And I could stay friends with Bella. Just having her in my life was enough. I would be there for her, waiting in the wings, per se. If she wanted me, she could have me.

But I wouldn't hurt her, no matter what.

She stirred then, and I moved my hand to her hair. She probably wouldn't like it if she woke up to my hand on her cheek. Her brown eyes opened, and I smiled.

I was in deep, that's for sure.

She had tears brimming when she sat up next to me. I brushed them away, determined to make her feel better.

"Can we… do something?" She asked in a quiet, timid voice.

"Of course. Anything." I sat up straighter.

She thought for a moment, her eyes still clouded in grief. "Can we just go inside and watch a movie or something?" She finally said. I nodded, trying to lift myself into my chair. My arms were much stronger now. They had been strong from the army, but now I could probably walk on my hands all day. It made life easier, that was for sure.

Bella just stood, sweeping past me and into the living room, barely using her crutch at all. She was sitting on the couch, a DVD in her lap, staring down. I wheeled over and saw the DVD.

"Anastasia?" I asked, looking at the animated cover.

She nodded. "I haven't seen it since I was little." She didn't provide anymore information, and just put the DVD in. I nodded, sitting down on the couch.

Bella walked back and sat next to me, snuggling into my side. I wrapped an arm around her, reveling in the moment. Bella curled up as small as possible, leaning into me.

When the movie had started, I realized why she might have picked it. It was a fairytale, for sure, and it probably helped distract her. But the grandmother didn't escape my notice, nor did the tears in Bella's eyes when they were separated.

I was jealous of that Demetri guy. I wanted to be happy like him. I wanted Bella to keep her grandmother, too. But neither of those seemed possible.

The movie ended, but neither of us got up and turned it off. Infact, it got darker and darker outside, and we just sat there. The house seemed emptier than usual without Mrs. Caldwell. And it would be empty for a while.

A tear fell down Bella's cheek and landed on my sleeve. I looked at her to see she was still crying. I wondered if I'd ever understand what she was going through.

I had lost someone very important to me as well, but I still had family. I would miss Mrs. Caldwell like she was family, but I still had family. No matter what, I had someone there for me when no one else would be. Bella didn't seem to think she would have anyone, despite all that I had told her. How could I make her understand?

"Edward?" She asked, staring up at me. "When I was sleeping…" she trailed off, not finishing. I panicked, what if she had noticed? Would she scold me for… I wasn't exactly sure how to put it… taking advantage of her face while she was sleeping?

"Yes?" I prompted, nervously. She looked away.

"Did anyone call from the hospital?" Her voice sounded strangled, and we both knew she meant to say something else.

"No," I answered, relieved and hurt at the same time.

"Oh," she said, and stood up. "Can you go home, tonight, Edward? I… I need to be alone for a little while," she whispered. I nodded, even more hurt.

But before she left, she leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. Long after she left the room, I stood perfectly still. That kiss was different than any other. Maybe it was me. My heart said she knew about the tracing of her features, and the kiss meant she didn't mind. But my brain told me that I was overreacting and to stop being an idiot.

So I rolled home, staying at my own house for the first time in a long time, but not particularly upset about it.

**What did you think? I'm not sure I was channeling Eddie, really. I stole a part of the book, "waiting in the wings".**

**Review? Please?**


	14. What a Wonderful World P1

**Chapter called "What a Wonderful World" Part 1 by Louis Armstrong. Part two will be MUCH longer, but I really wanted to post something tonight. It's a look inside of Bella's head for once. I probably got it wrong, but oh well.**

**EXCERPT FROM MY OTHER STORY:**

**SO CALM DOWN FOR MY SAKE, PLEASE? D:**

**Various reasons have prevented me from posting.**

**I'll start with the first. The week after my last posted chapters, I had standardized testing. I'm sure you've all had it. For two hours every day you sit and bubble in answers in a test book on questions for Science, History, Math, English, Reading, etc. I won't tell you the test, because then you'll know where I live (creepy) but it lasted a week and a half /**

**And every night of that week our teachers gave us packets and websites to do review on, and my mother made me do them. I had virtually no time.**

**And then, the next week, I had a mock trial modeled after a book I read in English called To Kill A Mockingbird. Where as all of my friends had a jury position and got to play board games for the week, I was a defense attorney. I will not go into detail, but I was on the wrong side. It was a trail that was over right and wrong, and I firmly disbelieved against my side of the story. However, despite my opinion, I had to gather nonexistent evidence from the meager book, and come up with good arguments. My next week was spent searching in and out of websites and books trying to figure how to do my job properly. In the end, I lost, for obvious reasons. **

**Throughout these two weeks, I was placed in a group for my history class for "Standardized Testing Olympics" where we battled against other kids in our class in games like Trash Basketball, and Jeopardy. My group happened to consist of me, and the four biggest troublemakers in the class. And I didn't even choose it. My teacher placed us by a test we took, trying to even out the teams. My friends got normal groups, and I got the worst. If it isn't proof enough, our group name was "Mr. Beaver's Army".**

**And almost every day of every single weekend I've spent at my grandparent's house, who have no working computers… **

**And now I'm facing a very very sick uncle (he's in the hospital for the fiftieth time), a math end of course test on Thursday on a course I haven't finished, finals, and end of the year projects.**

**And yeah, I shouldn't be complaining, and yes, I should be more organized and then I would have updated. I'm sorry, though. Very very very very very sorry, that I didn't update. I am a terrible person D:**

**But I'm going to try to get back on track. I've got three weeks left of school, or two and a half. Things will get even worse, but I'm determined to update more. Many of my stories WILL be updated tonight.**

**I definitely give you permission to throw bricks at my head.**

**BPOV**

I walked out in the cool summer morning air to get to the mailbox. I grabbed the usual junk mail, and the bills. I paused, though, before I turned around, looking at Edward's house.

Edward. I thought about the kiss I'd given him last night. I would be lying if I said I didn't think he was … attractive. Okay, that was still lying. It would be absolutely blasphemous if I said I wasn't falling in love with him.

But he didn't know that. And he probably never would. I sighed and walked back inside. It didn't matter anyway. I had bigger problems. Namely, the fact that my grandmother was dying.

She was fading, and I knew it was only a matter of time before she was gone. And for the first time in my life, I felt entirely helpless. I had learned at a young age that there was always another choice. But it seems like it's finally been proven wrong. We can never escape the finality of death.

It was odd, I seemed calm at some moments, and panicked at others. I remembered things I wanted to do with her, and things I never would. All those years I never knew she existed.

I never told her so many memories or parts of my life. And while she seemed to know some, she would never know the others. My sole confidence after she… would be Edward. I had no one else.

Well, there was Charlie. He and Edward were quite the pair. But I could tell Edward struggled more than Charlie. Charlie was younger, he was changing naturally, while Edward had been forced to change. But Charlie was not a lifelong friend, not a lifelong love.

I thought back to the first time I had really met Edward. We were on the back porch with my grandma, and we were talking. At the time, her cancer seemed like a trivial fact, one I didn't want to remember. But now I had no choice, and now that wouldn't happen ever again. There really was a true meaning to the fact you can't go back to a time when you were truly happy.

And so I decided to call Edward. He was there within minutes, and I greeted his familiar face at the door.

"Hi," I croaked, my voice hoarse from crying.

"How are you?" He asked, getting straight to the point. I winced, but held my ground.

"Better." I managed. He smiled, and I lost myself for a moment. Why did he have to be so perfect?

We went outside. I left my crutches behind. Being with Edward always gave me a bit of bravery and courage. I leaned on his wheelchair a bit though, but he was happy to support me. He always had. I wanted to know if it would last beyond the boundaries of friendship, but now wasn't the time.

We stopped at the edge of the woods. Edward looked up at me, a caring expression on his face. "What did you want to talk about?" He asked, always so courteous.

I sighed, looking him in the eye. "I'm going to go look for a job." I bit my lip, wondering if he laughed.

"A job? Why?" He seemed confused. I laughed a short laugh, more of a bitter one.

"We've been living off of her social security and the money I earned from the air force and the jobs I had before my accident. It was fine until…" my voice broke. I cleared my throat. "Until she was… worse." I finished in a whisper.

"And well, I think I should get a job," I mumbled, looking at the ground. Edward reached up and titled my chin up a bit, enough so that he could see my eyes and I had to look into his green ones.

"I think it's a wonderful idea, if you think you're ready." I nodded, determined. "In that case, do you have a resume?" He asked.

I thought for a moment. "Yes! It's on the computer. I think I last updated it about two months ago when I considered getting a quick job to pay off a bill." He smiled, and I smiled back. Magnetic.

"Well then, I guess all we need to know now is what job you want." I blanked. I had no idea what I wanted to do at all. Not the slightest clue.

"What were you studying in college before the air force?" Edward prompted.

"Teaching," I admitted, "I had my degree in teaching."

"Well, we can't get you a job since it's summer, but maybe a preschool? They teach during the summer." I considered it. Short hours, not the best pay, but with the good amount of money I had coming in, we didn't need a lot. I would be around children all day. I didn't think it would be so bad.

"Why not?" I answered.

Edward glanced at the door. "How about we go back inside. I'll go get you an interview time for tomorrow, and you just relax at home." I knew he was just saying "we" so I would have help getting back inside. And I knew he wanted me to stay because of what was going on in my life now, but I didn't really care. I knew he did those things because he cared about me.

And when Edward left again, I couldn't help but give him another kiss on the cheek.

**Was it terrible? It was short, but they'll get longer once I do some more updating. Up Next is American Girl…**


End file.
